Track lifter



Jan. 12,1926. 1,569,767

M.J. MCMENAMIN ET AL TRACK LIFTER Filed Feb. 2'7, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 12 1926.

M. J.. MCMENAMIN ET AL muck- LI'F'rnn Filed Feb; 27. 1924 2 Sha om-Shoot 2' Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

umrso is T -s PATENT oar-ion. f

MICHAEL J. MeMnNAMIiv AND onAnLEs NIxoN, onmnLAnELrnm, AND REESE n. GREENLAND, or :ennronn, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRACK LIFTER.

Application filed February 27,1924. Serial No. 695,554.

1 poll whom it may concern: Be :it known that we, MICHAEL J. MOMEN- AMINand GHARLES NIXON, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and REESE D. GREEN- LAND; -11esiding "in Bedford, Pennsylvania, citizens of'ithe United States, have invented arilrack Lifter, of which the following is anspecifi'cation.

Our invention relates to apparatus for raising and moving tracks.

carriage: movable over the track section to be lifted clamping'members for engaging the "track section and hoisting mechanism operatively associated with the clamping members ii'or raising the movable carriage as well as the track section.

.Airfurther object of our invention is to mount the clampingmembers in guideboxes,

Whiclriare carried by the movable carriage; and fto xprovide guiding means for the hoistingscables at the point where they enter the guide iboxes- Witliethese and other objects and appli cations in mind, our invention further 0011- sistsn-inrthe details of'construction and operation. ihereinatter described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying draw in'gsflvhereini F igg l is :a side elevation-a1 -view of a preferred iormIof embodiment of our inventi=on p i Fiig. 2-is a top plan view-of the structure offEig. #1;

Rige -Band are enlarged detail, longi- V tucli na'l hand transverse sectional views, re-

spectiyely, taken on the lines III-III and IV-IV of F ig. 2; and

"Fig "is a persp'ective view of a modified form=o f embodiment of our invention.

In the illustrated form of embodiment of our invention shown in Figs; 1 to 4, inclusi ve', a movable carriage 1 comprises a pair of; longitudinally extending side members 2 and 3 which are interconnected, intermediate and "7 to form a :rigid'constnuction: This structure may be mounted on spaoedaxles '8 and 9 which "provide journalsfor pairsr of wheels 10 and 11, respectively; Thewheels 10 and 11 are adaptedto rails and l3 o a-6 track section I4 whichcis to be moved A pair guide boxes1-5 and '16 am formed -ait each end of the-movable carriage 1 immediately over the rails '12 and 13, re-- spectively, by means of spaced vertical side members 17 and 18, the la'tter of which is seouredto the ends of the longitudinally extending side members :2 and 3. The side member :17 maybe secured in spaced relation to the side member 18 by means of spacing" members 19 and 21, whichde'fine the outer ends of the guide boxes '15 and 16. "respective ly, and members 22 and 23, which define-the inner ends of said guide boxes. IA. bracing member 24 may be positioned-in engage ment with the side member 18 alt-either end of the carriage 1 and it may be supported by means of members 25 and 26 -Wl1iohare respectively carried by the longitudinally extending-side members 2and3. Thestruoture forming the pairs of boxes 15and 16 may be further secured by means i of braces 27 which extend, respectively, from the 1111'- der side of the-side members 2 and 3 into engagement "with the lower side portion-pf the members 18. I

The portions of the members 17 and 18 constituting side walls of *the several bones 1 5 and I6 may be-provide'd with "aligned perrelations 29 and '31, respectively,- whiehere 9 fitted with steel bushings=32 and 33 adapted to receives bolt 34 constituting the pivotfor arms 35 and 3620f a clamping member 37; Th'B-gPOSlfilOIYOf fil-IG bolt'34 is such thatthe lower ends of 'thearms -35 and 36 embrace aweb portion 318* of the-rails 1 2 and '13 when the clamping member 37 e is moved into *its closed position, as shown in Figs. 3' and hen :the clamping memben37, howevenis moved into the open position shown-inflat 1 ted lines-in Fig. 4-,the lower ends of the arms 35 and 36-swing clear 0% the-"rails 1 2" 2111161 13.

The 'upper endof the arms 35*and' '36 have 4 pivotally secured thereto "links 39 and- 41,, respectively, a pin 42-pivotally securing together the free ends of the links .39 and "41. The pin 42"; rovidesa-mounti-ng fora; clevice"43; wlric engages a looped 'end porfiion a 44 of a cableefi, the other etr'd of which is secured to a hook 46 of hoisting mechanism 47. A sheeve or guiding pulley 48 is provided for each of the four cables 45 at the point where they enter the guide boxes and it is revolubly mounted in a bracket L9 which is supported on the members 18 and 2 4, whereby friction and unnecessary wear 1n the guide boxes may be substantially avoided. In order to prevent the cables a5 from jumping the guiding sheeves 48, guards 51 may be provided which are carried by the supporting brackets 49.

In operation, assuming the hook 46 of the hoisting mechanism 47 lowered sufliciently .to cause the arms 35 and 36 of the clamping members 37 to lie in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 4:, the carriage l is moved out overthe track section 14 to be lifted The hook 46 of the hoisting mechanism 47 is then raised, causing the lower ends of the arms 35 and 36 of the clamping members 37 to be actuated downwardly and into engagement with the web 38 of the rails 12 and 13. The continued raising of the hook 46 causes the carriage 1 as well as the track section 1% to be bodily raised and it may then be moved in any desired position.

Practical experience has indicated that should the web 38 of the rails 12 and 1;} be covered with dirt or other'material, the lower ends of the arms 35 and 36 of the clamping member 37, under the hoisting action of the mechanism 47, are positively actuated, through said covering material and into engagement with the web portion 38. In Fig. 5, we have shown a simplified form of our invention comprising a rectangular frame work 52 which is supported from a hook 53 of hoisting mechanism 54 by means of cables 55, the latter extending to the corners of the rectangular structure 52. A clamping member 56 extends downwardly from each of the corners of the rectangular supporting structure 52 and it-is adapted to releasablyengage rails 57 of a track section 58 which is to be lifted. or r In operation, the hook 53 is moved into position, so that the rectangular supporting structure 52 and, consequently, the clamping member 56 are directly over the rails 57. \Vhen the hook 53 is raised, the clamping members '56 engage the web of the rails 57, the continued raising of the hook 53 causing the track section 58 to be lifted, as in the preceding figures.

. While we have shown only two forms of embodiment of our invention for the purpose of illustrating the construction and operation thereof, it is apparent that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of our invention, we desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall 'be imposed. thereon as are indicated in the appended claims or as are demanded by the prior art.

e claim:

1. Apparatus comprising a supporting structure, a plurality of clamping devices adapted to engage a member to be lifted, hoisting means operatively associated with said supporting structure, and antrfriction guiding means for said hoisting means.

2. Apparatus comprising a supporting structure, clamping devices for engaging the member to be lifted, guide boxes for said clamping devices, hoisting means operatively associated with said devices, and antifriction guiding means for said hoisting means.

3. Track-lifting apparatus comprising a supporting structure, clamping devices adapted to engage the track section to be lifted, hoisting mechanism including a pinrality of cables operatively associated with said clamping devices, and means for guiding said cables when the latter moves relative to said structure.

at. Track-lifting mechanism comprising a carriage movable on the track section to be lifted, clamping devices for engaging said track section, hoisting means including cables operatively associated with said clamping devices and guide wheels for said cables.

5. Track-lifting apparatus comprising a movable carriage, a plurality of guide boxes mounted on said carriage, clamping devices supported in said guide boxes, and hoisting means including a plurality of cables operatlVGl" associated with said clamping devices. 100

6. Track-lifting apparatus comprising a movable carriage, a plurality of guide boxes mounted on said carriage, clamping devices supported in said guide boxes, hoisting means including a plurality of cables operatively associated with said clamping devices, and means for guiding said cables adjacent to said guide boxes.

7. Track-lifting apparatus comprising a movable carriage having a plurality of guide boxes, a plurality of tongs having open and closed positions positioned in said boxes, each ofsaid tongs comprising arms, a common pivot pin for said arms so supported, by said guide boxes that the tong engages the track only in its closed position, hoistmg mechanism, and means for interconnecting said tongs and said hoisting mechanism, whereby the release of said hoisting mechanism permits a movement of the tongs into their open position.

8. Track-lifting apparatus comprising a carriage movable over the track section to be lifted, a plurality of clamping devices adapted toengage said track section when in their closed position, means associated with each clamping device for guiding and supportin the same, said means being carried by sai movable carriage, hoisting mechanism, a plurality of cables for interconnecting saidhoisting mechanism and said clamping device, and a guide Wheel for each cable.

9. In combination, a track section to be lifted, a carriage movable over the same and provided with a plurality of vertically extending guide boxes, a corresponding plurality of clamping devices positioned in said guide boxes and supported by the same, hoisting mechanism, a cable interconnecting each clamping device and said hoisting mechanism, and guiding means for each cable positioned at the upper end of each of said vertically extending guide boxes.

10. Track-lifting apparatus comprising a carriage movable over the track section to be lifted and provided with a plurality of vertically extending guide boxes positioned immediately adjacent to the rails of said track section, a pair of arms in each of said guide boxes, 21 pin pivotally connecting each pair of arms to form tongs adapted to engage said rails, each of said pins being supported by the Walls of said guide boxes, hoisting mechanism, a plurality of cables interconnecting said tongs and said hoisting mechanism, and guide pulleys for said cables,

positioned at the upper end of said vertical guide boxes.

MICHAEL J. MoMENAMIN. CHARLES NIXON. REESE D. GREENLAND. 

